Peggy Rowe will assume leadership of the city of Asheville’s Human Resources department on Wednesday, Jan. 4. Formerly the Human Resources Director of Hillsborough County, Fla., Rowe has also worked in public and private sector positions in Pinellas County, Fla. and Atlanta, Ga.
Rowe holds a master’s degree in Human Resources Development from Georgia State University in Atlanta.
According to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, Rowe joined Hillsborough County (population approximately 1.2 million) in August 2015, and oversaw a $5.6 million budget and a staff of 64 full-time employees.
City spokesperson Polly McDaniel says that Asheville’s Human Resources director oversees hiring, compensation, benefits, employment policies, employee development, employee health services and wellness programs for about 1,100 full- and part-time employees.
The Human Resources director position has been vacant since April 2015, when former director Kelley Dickens was “relieved of her duties,” according an Asheville Tribune report which cited an internal city email. Dickens had held the position since December 2010. James Ayres has been serving as interim director.
